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Archaeologists working at the Soutra Hospital site near Edinburgh have
discovered a medieval cure for hangovers. (News).
History Today, Nov 2001 v51 i11 p11(1)

Archaeologists working at the Soutra Hospital site near Edinburgh have
discovered a medieval cure for hangovers. The brethren of medieval
Scotland's largest hospital enjoyed a rich diet, heavy in meat and washed
down with vast quantities of ale and wine - up to twenty pints of ale per
day in some cases! The strains of such a lifestyle were apparently made
easier by the 14th century equivalent of liver salts, crushed seeds from
the toxic plant of dog's mercury mixed with bittern, the liquid skimmed
off salt-making equipment. Traces of this unpalatable combination have
been found on site, and would have provided a two-hour detoxification by
prompting vomiting and diarrhoea.

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Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise	      jenne at mail.browser.net
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